By Joshua Huff, sports editor
BIRMINGHAM — Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin called for flags to be lowered to half-staff on Friday afternoon following the murder of Minnesota native George Floyd by the knee of a former Minneapolis Police Department officer.
“I’ve asked the city’s flag to be lowered to half-staff in memory of George Floyd,” Woodfin posted on Twitter. “The injustice of police brutality is a story Birmingham knows well. Our city should not be silent in the outpouring of support for George Floyd’s family nor the fervent demands for justice.”
Floyd’s murder has rippled throughout the nation following the release of videos that directly implicate four Minnesota Police Department officers with the callous disregard for human life.
I’ve asked the city’s flag to be lowered to half-staff in memory of George Floyd.
The injustice of police brutality is a story Birmingham knows well. Our city should not be silent in the outpouring of support for George Floyd’s family nor the fervent demands for justice. pic.twitter.com/kk5xNi5XwZ
— Randall Woodfin (@randallwoodfin) May 29, 2020
Video released shows Floyd pleading for help as former officer Derek Chauvin rests his body weight upon Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
“I can’t breathe, man,” Floyd can be heard saying in released videos. “Please, let me stand. Please, man.”
Chauvin was arrested on Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Birmingham, which has a despicable history surrounding racial inequality and violence, is most recognized throughout the nation for the continued shootings and bombings of blacks on Dynamite Hill, which earned Birmingham the nickname, “Bombingham.”
“Bham’s history has been intrinsically tied to both protest and reconciliation,” Woodfin said. “Truth, solidarity, accountability, hope – these are the enemies of injustice. With those tools we know that victory is attainable. For George Floyd and countless others we stand united for justice.”